Click here: Marxism in America - Lt. Gen. (Ret.) W.G. "Jerry" Boykin Video |

I received the following email yesterday. Between the hashed double lines you will find my comments in response. At the bottom is my final word.

Dear Friends,

You need to watch this and then forward to everyone you know.

A video that will make you think seriously! This is bone chilling.

Click here: Marxism in America - Lt. Gen. (Ret.) W.G. "Jerry" Boykin Video |

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I have a real problem with these far fringe conservative extremists. One of two things is happening here.

1 ~ they are picking and choosing various comments out of context and twisting them to have an evil meaning in order to make Obama look like an idiot,

OR

2 ~ that they are so fearful and gullible enough to believe what they are saying. If this is the problem, I feel pity for them.

If you look for information on Boykin on the internet, you will find that he is an extreme religious right wing fanatic. He has every right to voice his opinion accorded him by the Constitution but the Constitution does not give him the right to spread unfounded fear.

If you were to believe what he has to say, you would have to believe that the citizens of the U.S. are completely powerless to stop such a ridiculous situation from becoming a reality.

Think about it.

Our military is composed of citizen soldiers who would be asked to bow to such an idea and be accepting of the enslavement of their parents, brothers and sisters and their children. You would also have to believe the same of those who would be recruited for a citizen military. There would be an instant revolt against such an idea.

How this idiotic idea came about:

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During an MTV/MySpace forum on February 19, 2008, Barack Obama stated, “... one of the things that I’ve proposed, for example, is that I will give a $4000 tuition credit - every student, every year - so that they are not being loaded up with enormous debts, uh, but there will be a community service - a national service component. The military could be one way for you to get this $4000 tuition credit. Another way would be to work in an under-served school that needs help. Another way would be to work in an under-served hospital or a homeless shelter, or a veteran’s home. The point is, I think it is important for young people to serve.”

On July 2, 2008, in a speech at Colorado Springs, Barack Obama (as presumptive Democratic Party nominee) made another reference to such legislation when he called for the creation of a nationwide civilian service program, by explaining his vision of a national service program similar to the one he outlined in the MTV/MySpace forum, saying he would make federal assistance to schools contingent to school districts establishing service programs, with a goal of 50 hours of service per year for middle school and high school students, and 100 hours of service per year for college students. He also expanded on his proposed program, calling for all ages to participate in an expansion of existing voluntary national service programs, and creation of new ones, in many areas, such as infrastructure rebuilding, service to the elderly, and environmental cleanup. Obama's entire service program proposal quickly became controversial, largely for being mistaken as a call for a national paramilitary force, though the proposal's only reference to military service was to volunteer participation in regular U.S. Armed Forces, as one activity that would qualify for inclusion under the program's umbrella.

Similar claims have been circulating in right-leaning blogs and conservative Web sites ever since July 2008 when Obama made a single reference to a "civilian national security force" in a campaign speech in Colorado. Obama’s detractors make much of his expansive (and exaggerated) description of such a force as being "just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as the U.S. military. They also ignore the context.

Obama was not talking about a "security force" with guns or police powers. He was talking specifically about expanding AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps and the USA Freedom Corps, which is the volunteer initiative launched by the Bush administration after the attacks of 9/11, and about increasing the number of trained Foreign Service officers who populate U.S. embassies overseas. (National security also includes disaster relief, pollution abatement, assistance to the poor, assistance to education and the various other ills that our nation faces.)

Here is the relevant portion of what Obama actually said, with the sentences quoted selectively by Boykin and others in bold and underlined.

Obama, July 2, 2008 Colorado Springs, CO: “[As] president I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots [from 75,000] and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals, like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their effort connected to a common purpose.

People of all ages, stations and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem – they are the answer. So we are going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We’ll call on Americans to join an energy corps, to conduct renewable energy and environmental clean-up projects in their neighborhoods all across the country.

We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, and to be there for our military families. And we’re going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy. We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set.

We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded. We need to use technology to connect people to service. We’ll expand USA Freedom Corps to create online networks where American can browse opportunities to volunteer. You’ll be able to search by category, time commitment and skill sets. You’ll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities.

Either you can hide behind your doors with guns in hand awaiting the arrival of the boogey men laid down by idiots like Boykin in your lack of faith in America.